The Destiny Of The Doctors: Part 6
by EssexLad1975
Summary: 10th August Chapter TwentyTwo Is Up. Happy Reading :o
1. Chapter TwentyOne: The Path Between

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - THE PATH BETWEEN THE DARKNESS & THE LIGHT

The sun was hanging low, signalling that another day is drawing to an end. Malcolm slept lightly and restlessly. He tossed and turned in his bed and faces and voices swept through his mind. Faces of people he didn't know, yet at the same time seemed strangely familiar and places he didn't know of but for some reason recognised. His eyes fluttered open and he looked around the room. For the most part it looked pretty sparse even for a guest bedroom and so there wasn't much to keep Malcolm's attention drawn. He sighed deeply as he remembered everything that had been happening during the day and as he reached up and scratched his nose he could help but to resign himself to the fact that his life would end at the hands on this Braithwaite person.

A slight shiver caught him and he subconsciously pulled the sheet a little tighter to his body. After a moment he realised the chill and looked around again, more curiously trying to see the source of chill. Still not finding the source, he half closed his eyes, and there. His eyes opened widely as something seemingly unbelieveable began to happen in the room. From nowhere a small sphere of light appeared, glowing soft and constant. This was quickly followed by several smaller spheres which began to feverishly circle the first sphere which appeared.

By this time Malcolm had pulled his senses together and pulled himself out of the bed, his eyes transfixed on what was happening in front of him. More and more spheres travelling around, faster and faster, slowing getting brighter and brighter.

Curiosity caught Malcolm as he took a step forward and reached out his hand as if he was going to make contact with one of these spheres.

"Malcolm ..." a voice softly echoed through the room as if it came straight from the spheres.

At that Malcolm jumped back and gasped, his eyes wide open, darting around the room. Was this some sort of prank? Was this Gary doing all this deliberately?

Within moments as he continued to stare, it seemed the very air began to shimmer at the point where the spheres flew around and something was materialising. The figure of a young and beautiful woman. Within moments she was there, suspended in mid air, while all the while the spheres continued spinning their dance of light.

"Malcolm," the woman spoke softly and gentle.

"Who are you?" Malcolm asked softly after he managed to regain his composure.

"Listen," the woman carried on talking, "the hour is close at hand. See with your eyes the truth of your home, the solution of your puzzle will reveal a greater truth that I was unable to shed as it would surely bring a change, a change that some will feer greatly."

"I don't understand," Malcolm uttered softly, his mind beginning to reel at the meaning of her words.

"Time is short," the woman whispered. With those words the air around her began to shimmer softly and the spheres of light began to softly fade away, along with the woman. "Time is short, salvation lies within the City of Moons. Hurry ..."

With them last words the woman vanished from his sights leaving him alone once again.

"Who was she," Malcolm spoke to himself, "and how did she know who I was."

Malcolm stood there for a couple more moments before turning and walking back into the main room which he was in earlier. He closed the door and his gaze fell upon Gary who was standing in the middle of the room.

"You look lousy Malcolm," Gary commented as he looked up. "I know that look," he continued, "too much City of Moons on your mind, kind of like chasing windmills. I wish I could help you more Malcolm, I really do." Gary took a small breath and headed towards the door of his home. "Good luck," he said as he opened the door and walked out into the evening light.

Malcolm took a moment and looked around the room, "I'll get nowhere sitting around here," he sighed softly to himself. "Time to get back out there and do a little more investigating of my own, but where."

"But where?" Iris asked, getting a little more aggravated as each moment passed. "I wouldn't mind, but you still haven't introduced yourself to me."

The assassin who was walking Iris in a near frog-march stopped in the middle of the street and turned to face her.

"My name is Paul," he answered in a level tone of voice. "As for why?" he took a breath and looked at the woman standing in fron of her. Was she ready? He couldn't help but to wonder if directness was the best approach, however time was swiftly running out and he couldn't risk being subtle about the severity of the situation. "There is more going on around here at the moment than any one person can conceive Iris."

"Are you going to let me in on this, or do I have to fall back on logic to figure out the answer to that Chinese riddle?" Iris asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Let's carry on walking," Paul said softly as he looked up into the evening sky. "I'm hoping that you've heard most of the history of this place from the local inhabitants."

"I know bits and pieces yes," Iris replied giving Paul a side long glance.

"I perhaps know a little more than yourself and the people that inhabit this place as I am not from around here." Paul commented as he looked at a few of the locals walk past in the opposite direction.

"Do you know who is responsible for all this going on chuck?" Iris asked, "and more importantly for what reason?"

"Have you noticed that everything that has transpired, only happened after Governor Braithwaite took control of the office."

"The genetic tagging, the ban of public literature, the twilight curfew, these were ideas proposed by or approved by this Braithwaite person," Iris said almost to herself counting them off on each finger as she did.

"Yes," Paul answered, "isn't it unusual that a person that everybody considered to be such as saviour and saint would have ulterior motives, and more to the point be so blazingly open in that way he implemented these changes that really for the most part constrict and restrict personal freedom in this town, yet, nobody has opposed or challenged him."

"Brainwashing?" Iris wondered after several moments of thinking.

"Perhaps, but I'd rather doubt it." Paul said as they turned off the main street and down along the market square. "You see the pieces that have been so carefully laid out by our illustrious Governor doesn't show the bigger picture in all of this. Would you find it conceivable if I were to say that I was part of this bigger picture? And more to the point, you Iris."

Hearing that, Iris stopped in her tracks once again. "Excuse me chuck? What part of this 'bigger plan' am I involved with?"

Paul stopped the look back at the Time Lord, smiling softly. "Tell me Iris, do you believe in destiny?"

"Oh course luv, it's all part and parcel of being a Time Lord." Iris answered smiling. She looked down and started rummaging through her handbad. After a couple of moments she pulled out a small white paper bag with had something inside and held it towards paul shaking it a couple of times.

"Would you like a jelly baby chuck?" Iris offered.

"What was that?" Anna-Marie called from the back end of the TARDIS.

"I said," came the muffled sound of Powell who was half laying underneath the TARDIS. He took a deep breath and pulled himself out, "we can try this all evening long and we may never find a way of accessing this infernal time travelling machine of hers. We must consider alternatives."

Anna-Marie shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair. "How difficult is it to get access to a stupid bus!" She huffed and pointed at the TARDIS, "I mean why can't we just break one of them damned windows and climb aboard that way."

"If it was that easy Anna-Marie, I think I would have tried it by now," Powell replied brushing himself down and looking around and warehouse.

Anna-Marie looked down at her time piece and looked back up again. "Time is fast running out Powell, we do not have much longer."

"Yes," Powell muttered, "and the constant clock watching does not instil much confidence in the success of this mission."

"So, we've tried everything, have you got any more masterful plans in that cranium of yours?"

With all the constant set backs, Anna-Marie's sarcastic tone was beginning to aggravate him immensely. He turned quickly on his heels and directed his anger and frustration at the doors at the back of the bus. "Why don't you think of something smart for a change!" he burst as he swung his left leg out and using all his might launched it at the doors.

Without even preparing for what was to happen next, the doors to the bus gave in and opened under the strike of Powell's food, and the momentum sent Powell quickly inside the now open TARDIS.

Anna-Marie stood there nodding softly with a brilliant smile on her face. "I knew you would figure it out in the end."

From inside the TARDIS, there was continued silence.

"Ouch," Powell murmured after a moment, "my head..."

"Ace, my sweet, how you tire me so," the voice of Victor, the Master softly drifted across the room.

During the time she had been held against her will by Victor, she had been tortured time and time again by instruments simply too unspeakable. Her face was nearly covered in purple bruises and several cuts which seemed blood.

"I must admid a little pride in you Ace," Victor spoke as he walked over to a nearby window and looked out into the town which stretched out before him. "Your tolerance is admirable, however I do not see why you should continue to deny me the information that I desire." He looked back and gave Ace a questioning look. "The more you keep up your silence, the shorter your life will be my dear, and I'm sure neither you or me would wish that."

Ace, breahing a little raggedly raised her head slowly upwards and set her gaze upon Victor. She took a moment and a smile sly smile crossed her lips in defiance. "Welcome," she replied a little slowly, "to the stubborn side of Ace."

"Tell me, my dear," Victor spoke as he started walking back towards her, "do you have any beliefs? Every civilisation is built upon beliefs of some kind or another. You know, even the Daleks, as superior as they are have beliefs ... hmm does universal domination could as a belief?" Victor paused in mid-step and tapped his left index finger thoughtfully on his chin. "Perhaps. In any event, they exist all around us, invisible to the eye, unobtainable to the touch, but ever present."

Malcolm walked casually through the now near empty streets of Koravox. As the last shads of sinlight glimmer on the horizion, torch men walked smoothly and quietly through the streets lighting the street lantern to provide illumination.

"That woman was right," Malcolm muttered softly, "it does seem like i'm chasing windmills."

"Oh, Good Evening, Malcolm," a voice from nearby greeted him.

Turning slightly he caught the sight of Anthony in the evening light, near his home.

"Oh hi Anthony," Malcolm replied.

"Still looking for your City of Moons?" Anthony asked. "Lot of talk about that these days. Naturally. There was another traveller like you here once. Attractive of sorts, and strange."

"What do you mean strange?" Malcolm asked curiously.

"Always talking about hidden ruins at a bottom of a well." Anthony continued as he scratched his chin.

"Ruins huh?"

"But Governor Braithwaite found out," Anthony concluded, "who knows what happened to him." He turned slightly and started walking back to his house.

Seeing him walk away, Malcolm turned slightly as to carry on his investigation. Just as he took a step forward however, he heard Anthony speak again.

"You know, the season of the wind is almost upon us." Anthony commented as if it were an afterthought."

"The season of the wind?" Malcolm asked as he looked back, a little confused.

"Yes." Anthony answered. "The last time the winds blew here just about a year ago. A good strong wind is very rare here indeed. In fact it's part of what the town's about. A good strong wind brings trouble. And lots of it."

"Brings trouble huh?" Malcolm repeated softly.

"Yes," Anthony agreed, "you know come to think of it, the wind was blowing when Braithwaite's bride disappeared." Anthony opened the door and looked inside for a moment, then gave one last glance at Malcolm. "See you, Malcolm," he said before closing the door behind him.

Iris and Paul were walking through the cobbled streets of the market square, well, it was more like that Paul was walking at a brisk pace and Iris was trying her best to keep up with him, while at the same time trying to make sense of the whole situation that was unfolding around her.

"So I'm definitely supposed to be here," Iris continued, "now?"

"Yes Iris," Paul answered. He slowed a little and reached into his inside pocket. He pulled his hand out a moment later and Iris could see that he was holding some sort of device in his hand. Turning back to her, he held out his hand in a gesture for her to take it.

Iris, not really sure what he was doing took the device tentatively, and then after a moment looked down at the small glowing screen.

On the display were several pictures, one of them was of Ace and the other was of Iris.

"Wait, you knew me and my companion were going to be here. Can you see in to the future or something chuck, because if you can maybe you can tell me where Ace has gotten herself."

"No, sorry Iris," Paul answered, "I just have very good connections."

They reached the corner at the end of the market and Paul stopped in his tracks and moved himself to a nearby wall. Looking back he brought his fingers to his lips and motioned Iris to stand next to him.

Looking slowly around the corner Iris and Paul locked their gaze upon two men standing off the side of the road.

"See you, Malcom," the slightly older looking one spoke before turning and walking into what looked like his home.

"He looks a little familiar," Iris muttered softly into Paul's ear.

"Is he dangerous?" Paul asked softly not taking his gaze of the man.

Iris looked for a couple of moments and shook her head, "No I don't believe so."

They carried on staring for a few moments longer and Malcolm carried on walking away from them. Paul breathed a little easier, regardless of Iris' confidence in his innocence and they carried on walking.

Powell and Anna-Marie walked slowly around the TARDIS, the top deck of the bus seemed to have been converted into a rudimentary living area. Basic but comfortable seats adorn the center, while a series of doorways lead off, presumably to other areas like a sleeping area and a kitchen of some sorts. Typically like most TARDIS' they always seem a little bigger on the inside, despite the fact that from all outwardly appearances it was a normal bus from the planet Earth. As Anna-Marie looked around, he heard the faint voice of Powell downstairs who was communicating with their boss. Although she could make out the entire conversation, she surmised that their boss was most pleased with their results.

Taking one final glance she looked downwards and begain walking down the stairs to the bottom half of the bus.

"We have orders," Powell smiled. "We are to take this vehicle directly to our boss so we can receive final payment."

"Did he give us instructions on how to use this vehicle?" Anna-Marie asked looking around the bottom deck of the bus, which was completely decked out with all sorts of strange and bizarre monitors, dials and buttons which were blinking at random intervals.

"No," Powell replied looking at the front of the bus, "he instructed us to drive it like a conventional vehicle."

Hearing that Anna-Marie rolled her eyes visibly and sighed, "Oh dear," she murmured.

"Paul, who is this person?" Iris asked.

They had left the main roads and had begun heading towards the center of the town now.

"Who?" Paul asked back.

"Well, I've been looking at these pictures on this thingy," Iris continuted. "I've put a name to everybody except for this fellow. The one with what looks like a bald head."

Paul looked back and simply shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know I'm afraid."

"Well, that's not much of a connection you have then eh luv," Iris commented at the rather lack of information.

"Well in normal circumstances I'm usually given as much information about the person or persons I have a contract for. In the instance of that person however, there was none. Nothing at all, just that one picture. Ahh."

Iris looked up at Paul who had stopped walking. "Finally," Iris commented, "my poor feet were starting to get tired. Where are we?"

"History states there's an altar room beneath where we are standing." Paul answered looking back at Iris.

"An Altar room?" Iris answered a little surprised. "What would an Alter room be doing underneath there for goodness sake."

"Nobody really knows," Paul ansered shrugging his shoulders again, "apparently it was constructed several generation ago, but obviously none of the locals would know of it's existence."

Iris walked a few paces forward to get a better look at what Paul was standing in front of. She stood there for a moment where in the middle of some sort of courtyard was placed a rather shabby and lonesome looking wishing well.

"Well that's not inconspicuous is it," Iris commented synically as she stepped forward to take a look down the well.

"Well," Paul commented back, "I'm perhaps a little surprised that nobody has wondered why they have never been able to get water from that well, seeing as there is a bucket laying next to it on a piece of rope."

"Hmm," Iris breathed softly as she scratched her nose, "maybe I can answer that question for you chuck."

Paul looked a little inquisitively before walking across towards Iris who was looking into the well.

They looked at each other and then at the well when it approached from everywhere at once. A swift and fresh breeze that blew around Paul and Iris, and which sent the branches of a couple of nearby trees off into a merry little dance.

The wind blew swiftly through the streets of Koravox moving and rattling anything and everything that stood in it's path. Malcolm stood in the midst of trees which started moving and staying back and fourth gently dropping and blowing it's leaves all around him.

Anthony looked up briefly from where he was sitting as the wind started rattling the window covers on the front of his house. "Yes," he said to himself, "the wind always brings trouble."

"What's happening," Anna-Marie called to Powell who was frantically trying to use the equipment on the bus. The wind blew fiercely through the cracks and holes that were in the wood and brickwork and was knocking and pushing some of the crates around.

"I don't know," Powell answered, "I cannot figure where the wind came from."

Somewhere else in the town the wind was blowing a frenzy, leaves and dirt blew around almost uncontrollably, but this was somewhat different as from the casual observer the winds were blowing almost in a cylindrical manner. It seemed to be going on forever, then just as suddenly as it started, it stopped and normality returned to the town.

Well near normality.

In the same place where the strange winds blew there came a loud noise, a curious popping noise that came from nowhere fastly followed by a sound of someone yelling loudly as they fell from several feet from the ground. A couple of seconds later, whoever it was, hit the ground, hard and laid there groaning softly.

"Urgh .. Curse you," the figure managed to utter. 


	2. Chapter TwentyTwo: Fallen Guardian

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO - FALLEN GUARDIAN

"So. What are we going to do now?" Iris asked taking a glance at Paul.

"To be honest Iris, I have absolutely no idea," Paul replied as he scratched his forehead. "I didn't really account for the fact that the entrance to the place where we're going is now blocked off."

Iris sighed softly as she turned around and sat on the edge of the well. "I wonder what on Earth has happened to my Ace?" Iris mused to herself.

"I may not be able to answer that question for you Miss Iris," a voice called in the near darkness.

Paul turned quickly on his heels and Iris got up holding a hand out in Paul's direction.

"Wait a moment," Iris told him as the person slowly walked out of the shadows.

"Governor," Iris greeted as she saw his face in the softness of the moonlight.

"I can tell you though," the Governor continued, "that if you stay here trouble will soon arrive."

"I can see this leading to trouble," Anna-Marie said as she stood nearby Powell who was at the steering wheel of Iris' TARDIS.

"Well look," Powell commented as he absent-mindedly rubbed the growing purple bruise that was on his forehead. "If you were inclined study driving it wouldn't be me doing this all the time."

"Yes I know," Anna-Marie replied. "Chances are I'd probably be better."

Powell decided to let that comment slide as he reached down just past the steering wheel to where a small silver key was positioned.

"Hmm this will be an event," Powell commented, "I've never driven one of these machines before now."

He took the key in his thumb and index finger and slowly began to turn it.

"Here look at this weird clock," Anna-Marie said as she pointed her finger at a set of dials by the steering wheel. "I wonder why it's there," she mused as she started absentmindedly changing the dates and time.

At that moment the key had turned and the engine of the TARDIS started ticking over.

"Well it sounds a little on the noisy side," Powell said, "but all in all it could be ..." he stopped talking in mid-sentence as he looked out of the window.

"It could be what?" Anna-Marie asked.

"Hmm, you may want to look outside Anna." Powell replied still looking.

Anna-Marie looked up from the control panel and slowly her mouth fell open. The interior of the warehouse seemed to be slowly fading to black and the noise of the engine was slowly and steadily being drowned out by a reverbrating mechanical sound.

"What is going on," Anna-Marie spoke in a near hushed tone.

Somewhere in the town, two of the local residents were out walking through the narrow streets of Koravox. 

"I still want to know where that wind came from," one of them spoke as he kept his jacket wrapped firmly around his body.

"I don't know Nathaniel," the seond person replied, "but I have this horrible recollection I felt something like that before. I just don't remember why though."

They turned a corner and started passing the entrance to the park. As they did Nathaniel turned his head slightly and peered inside. By the shimmer of the moonlight he could make out the fallen leaves and disturbed dirt the winds had caused, then out of the corner of his eye he glimpsed what looked like the body of a person laying near a set of small trees.

"Hey Colin," Nathaniel whispered softly as he stopped walking and placed a hand on his companion's shoulder. "Look back into that park and tell me if you see anything."

Colin looked back over his shoulder and scanned the inside of the park with his eyes. "No," he said after a moment shaking his head, "I can't see, oh wait, just near them clump of trees over there. It looks like somebody."

They took a moment then started slowly walking back to the entrance of the park, all the while keeping their eyes locked on the stranger. They approached the half open gate and walked inside, making sure they took care where they walked.

The closer they got, they still noticed that the person stil hadn't moved. Nathaniel reached the side of the person and knelt down, then he slowly reached out and started gently patting his hand along the side of the body.

"What are you doing?" Colin whispered softly.

"Trying to find some sort of identification," Nathaniel replied, "try to see who this person is and where they came from."

"Hmm, I don't like this," Colin whispered to himself.

"Relax," Nathaniel spoke softly. "Hmm," he said after a moment, "I think I found this person's identification."

What happened next was reduced to a blur. The person that was laying upon the ground rolled over and locked their eyes upon Nathaniel.

Nathaniel reeled back slightly in shock. Before either Nathaniel or Colin had time to react the person on the floor had pulled out what looked like a pair of slimline jet black guns from under their jacket and pointed one at both of Colin and Nathaniel.

"Who are you?" Nathaniel uttered.

Still standing in the center of the town, Iris, Paul and the Governor turned their head quickly as they heard two distinctive bangs echo from somewhere in the town.

"Like I said," the Governor spoke in a slightly hurried tone. "Trouble is coming, and fast."

They gave each other a quick look before they decided to put a little trust in the Governor and started after him into the darkness.

The person who was formerly laying on the ground in the park was now on their feet and had just exited the park, the gate creeking slightly back and forth.

"You don't want to know," the person replied in a male voice.

"Actually yes," Powell half yelled, "I absolutely do want to know."

"All I did was move a few of these dials," Anna-Marie replied in near protest, "how can you blame this on me."

"Oh, quite easily." Powell commented.

Without them realising they had activated the time circuits and the TARDIS was now spiralling through the corridor of time, bouncing energetically in all different directions as it did.

"Well now we're here," Anna-Marie said after a few moments, "how do we get back?"

"Just give me a moment okay," Powell answered giving a glance over the controls. "I still want to know exactly where here is."

"Urgh don't make the moment so long," Anna-Marie muttered between clenched teeth, "all this rocking and rolling is making me nauseous."

"Where exactly are we going Governor?" Iris asked as they made their way through the streets.

"We need to get off the streets," the Governor replied looking back slightly, "I take it you have not encountered the Sentinels yet."

"Who or what are these Sentinels?" Iris asked as they rounded another street.

"They take over the city so to speak at night," the Governor replied, "they keep the peace and dissuade any attempts such as vandalism or robbery."

"But they won't stop you will they," Paul commented, "you are the Governor."

"Yes," he replied, "but they'll stop you and Miss Iris however."

Malcolm stopped for a moment and looked down at his watch, the time read twenty-three oh-nine. He rolled his head to either side of his neck as he tried to stifle a yawn, despite his earlier sleep he was still a little on the tired side.

Looking straight ahead his gaze fell upon a man from the park who was standing in the middle of the street. In the near darkness he couldn't make out much detail, only that the person had a peculiar expression on his face. His mouth was slightly open and he was looking slightly towards the sky.

Being a little cautious Malcolm slowly started walking towards him, making sure to keep his gaze towards him at all times.

The other man was literally doing nothing, he just stood there not giving any indication he was going to move. He'd stopped for a reason, and it was not for the first time. His breathing was calm and he kept his gaze just above the horizion looking at the distant dark skies.

It was then, he heard it. The thing he had heard time before.

"Doctor Caws, please report to Islolation Ward Four."

"Excuse me," the voice of Malcolm softly called as he approached. "Is everything okay?"

"Did you," the man replied, "did you just hear that?"

"Hear what?" Malcolm answered looking slightly perplexed.

"Doctor Caws," the mysterious voice repeated, "Doctor Cars to Isolation Ward Four. Immediately."

"Hmm, no matter," the stranger replied after a moment's silence. He finally broke his gaze and looked downwards towards Malcolm who was standing a little way in front of him.

"Is everything okay?" Malcolm repeated his previous question.

"Hmm," the stranger answered, "yes quite. Though I quite suspect that I am not the person requiring assistance in this instance."

"What do you mean?" Malcolm asked, a little taken back by the comment.

"You look like you're chasing windmills, but it is you who seems to be going around and around, in an endless circle not finding what you desire the most."

Taking another step back, Malcolm looked directly into the eyes of the stranger. "Who are you," Malcolm asked softly, "some mind-reader or something?"

A small thin smile crossed the lips of the stranger, and half raised his right eye-brow. "Hmm a mind-reader, never considered that one. No sir, I am the 'or something' though come to think of it, I've never thought myself as one of them before either."

The stranger took one step forward and Malcolm flinched slightly as if to start to move away from him.

"Oh, there's no need for panic," the stranger said softly holding out his hands. "See, harmless." The stranger moved forward again and this time Malcolm stayed where he was. "Are you a believer in co-incidences?"

"I, err, I don't really think so," Malcolm replied.

"The definitive answer to the universal question of 'what if and maybe'. I think my friend, that you are just in the need for a little inspiration, for the point in the right direction so to speak."

"But how can that be when even I'm not entirely sure myself?" Malcolm asked raising an eye-brow.

The stranger carried on walking forward gliding slowly around Malcolm as he did. "Maybe, just maybe, you're not meant to know. Maybe this is something for instinct to answer for you. You instinct, held in the part of your subconscious quietly nudging you in the right direction."

As he talked the stranger softly placed his hand on Malcolm's back, pressing is palm against his spine. As he did a small green light emanated from his hand, just for an instance, and then it was gone again.

"What about down there?" the stranger asked motioning Malcolm's head to a pathway just off to his left hand side. "Have you been down that path yet?" he whispered softly into his ear.

Malcolm took a couple of seconds to think about that question. Through all the day he hadn't actually gone down that path and for some reason he didn't know why he ignored something so blatant to the naked eye.

"No," Malcolm replied, "actually I haven't been down there." Malcolm took a couple of steps forward and stopped turning back. "Thank you," Malcolm thanked the stranger before walking off into the darkness ahead of him.

"No thank you is necessary," the stranger replied to himself as he watched Malcolm walk off. "Sometimes people need a reminder of the simpler things in life. You had strayed from the path young Malcolm and so I just hmm pointed you back in the right direction."

The stranger stopped again and looked around him.

"Doctor Caws," the mysterious voice echoed around the stranger. "Doctor Caws please come to Isolation Ward Four. Immediately. Doctor Caws."

The stranger was now turning around on the spot trying to locate the source of the voice but the street around him was completely empty.

"To Isolation Ward Four."

"I wish he'd hurry up and get there," Malcolm muttered shaking his head and walking off.

"I wish we'd hurry up and get there," Anna-Marie groaned softly.

"Get where?" Powell answered a little irritated by his companion.

"Wherever we are supposed to be going," Anna-Marie. "I can't ever remember being this ill on a journey before."

"Look," Powell said, "if it was as easy as say pressing on the break peddle to make us stop I would have done it by now." As if to illustrate the point he took his foot and slowly pressed down on the brake. At that point the pitch of the engine changed noticeably and the mechanical sound for a moment sped up a little.

"Well I guess you never tried the brake before now," Anna-Marie commented.

"No," Powell admitted. "I think that this machine is slowing down. Hopefully back on land again."

The bus buffered from side to side as it impacted against the sides of the time corridor, and as Powell pressed down on the brake more the noise of the mechanical sound began to level off but at the same time get a little louder. After what seemed like forever the blackness they saw outside the window of the bus began to ever-so-slowly change. It was getting lighter and lighter and both Powell and Anna-Marie could begin to make out colours and shapes in front of them.

"Thank goodness," Anna-Marie smiled with a heavy breath, "we're coming back to where we came from."

The moments that followed, seemed to take forever as both Anna-Marie and Powell looked outside the window tentatively. With the last resounding noise of the engine, the bus finished re-materialising and they were both back on land.

A soundable breath escaped from the lips of Anna-Marie as she saw the surroundings of the warehouse from where they came from. "Thank goodness," she said with obvious relief, "back on dry land."

"Definitely," Powell agreed, "but I'm still curious as to where we were just then. I've never seen anything like that before in my life. Now, let's get this to it's destination shall we?"

Anna-Marie panicked a little and looked at Powell. "How do you know we won't end up in that 'thing' again?"

"Because," Powell replied looking back at Anna-Marie, "this time you won't be touching anything. Get ready to open the warehouse doors, I want to keep our activity to a minimum if possible."

Powell reached down and embraced the ignition key with his thumb and forefinger once again turning it to start the engine once more. The engine purred into life same as before and both Powell and Anna-Marie held their breath tentatively, crossing their fingers there wouldn't be a repeat of last time. They breathed easier when after a minute they hadn't moved from the spot. Powell reached off to his side and put the bus into gear before slowly driving off to the entrance of the warehouse, carefully dodging the packing crates as he went.

As they reached the doors that lead to the outside, Anna-Marie stepped off the bus and walked to the entrance.

"Nice how I get all the nice jobs," she grumbled to herself as she knelt down and pulled on one of the bolts. Half expecting it to be difficult to release, she was surprised to find that it gave no resistance, and so nearly tumbling backwards in the process. She smiled to herself for un-lactching the door and proceeded to pull the other bolt free, which also gave no resistance. Anna-Marie stood up and sliding back a large wooden bar positioned mid-way she grabbed hold of both doors and proceeded pull them open. The doors swung freely and they were open in no time.

Powell smiled at the ease the doors opened and watched as Anna-Marie walked back and re-entered the bus.

"So far so good," Powell commented as he looked back before putting the bus back into gear and driving out into the main streets.

Iris and Paul sat alone in what looked like quite a furbished building, for the most part it was fairly quiet and the Governor had made his excuses and left the room.

"Something seems just a little too 'off' for my liking," Paul commented after a few moments.

"What do you mean 'off' chuck?" Iris replied looking at him.

"Well," Paul replied, "first of all the inability to access the underground portion of the town earlier, and now these Sentinels. There are events going on at this moment that I was certainly not prepared for."

"Well maybe your intelligence is just wrong luv," Iris commented, "it does happen from time to time you know."

"No," Paul replied, almost insistently, "I always know what to expect when I walk into an area."

There was a couple of minutes silence as Iris took in his words. "You know, you've never explained where you get your intelligence from."

Paul tapped his fingers on a table for a few moments not wanting to give Iris a response.

After a few moments, the topic of conversation changed and both Iris and Paul had engaged in a little small talk. Not paying much attention to the outside world, they didn't see the metallic form of the Sentinel peering motionlessly from outside the building.

After a few moments, the Sentinel spoke. "Dalek scout to Renegade Leader. I have located and isolated the source of the anomalous readings."

"What is the source," the Renegade Leader's metallic voice echoed through the audio circuits of the scout Dalek.

There was a few moments silence as the scout Dalek continued to peer through the window at the two forms inside the room.

"Respond," The Renegade Leader commanded.

"Renegade Leader," the scout anwered, "the anomalous readings are being generated by a Timelord."

"How can it be? It was reported the time vehicle was operated by a mere human, how can a Timelord be here, now?"

"Renegade Leader," the scout spoke, "I have confirmed from the visual records, this person is a Timelord."

"IMPOSSIBLE!" the Renegade Leader shrieked, "All the Timelords were exterminated in the Time Wars! The Daleks leave no survivors. The Timelords have been exterminated from history."

There were a few moments silence before the Renegade Dalek spoke again.

"No matter. One solitary Timelord against a regiment of Daleks has absolutely no hope of survival. I want you to exterminate that Timelord."

"I Understand," the scout answered.

Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock ...

Time seemed to be foremost for a lot of people, a fact strangely most significant to the wondering stranger that was moving, seemingly aimlessly around the town on Koravox.

He took a deep breath and sat down on a nearby bench. Dipping his hand into one of his pockets, he shortly pulled a pack of cigarettes and a gold looking lighter out. He took a brief moment as he took a cigarette out and light one, taking a deep breath, enjoying the flavour of the smoke as it fills in his mouth he pulled the cigarette away and slowly locked his gaze onto the burning end of the slowly burning stick.

"Mr. Johnson," the now familiar body-less voice echoed from around him. "Mr. Johnson, put it down."

The stranger's stare deepened as each second passed, slowly his awareness of the quietness around him seemed to slowly slip away.

"Mr, Johnson," the voice carried on. "Mr. Johnson, I'm asking you,"

Suddenly, from nowhere a hand gently gripped the stranger's wrist. This had got his attention and looked sideways at the person who owned that hand.

"Please put it down."

The stranger turned his gaze back to where he was looking just a moment before and saw in his hand a short stumpy looking pencil. Realising what he was holding he started to take more of his surrounding in and slowly noticed he was in a small, brightly lit room with two other people. The room seemed sparse in it's furnishings, a simple looking bed and a small cabinet laid in one of the corners, but the main thing was the white walls that had every square inch of it covered in scribbled pencil marks.

He took a couple of breaths and looked back at the person standing next to him. "No time," he whispered softly, "no time."

"Doctor Caws talked to you about this before, didn't he?"

"Yes," he answered, "but I haven't finished. I'm so close to completion." He smiled almost happily and looked around the four walls. "All of their destinies are in the palm of my hands." 


End file.
